Quest for global reach – the U.S. spy networking

On March 16, 2024, Reuters published so-called ‘exclusive’ news about the U.S. spy satellites, which might not be as exclusive as it seems, or they let us understand.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, the U.S. administration has been trying to overtake the responsibilities of intelligence gathering in and around Ukraine’s state border. This includes satellite surveillance and boots-on-the-ground operations. Another U.S.-based business, Palantir Technologies, has played a major role in intelligence-gathering operations in Ukraine by providing Ukraine’s forces with state-of-the-art surveillance and intelligence management software. The mentioned system extensively uses the U.S. managed satellite network already in place.

Whether Mr. Musk’s SpaceX’s Starshield business or some other venture, it is evident that the satellite surveillance system represents a lucrative opportunity for any business involved with space technology. The U.S. government has, over the years, built an extensive spy network that does not only include satellite surveillance. In 2013, NSA operative Edward Snowden gave a foretaste of the U.S.’s quest for global dominance in intelligence gathering when he revealed the telecommunication espionage committed by the U.S. federal government through its subsidiary, the National Security Agency (NSA).

The mentioned National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) uses innovative tools and practices to develop and manage space-based intelligence systems for national security. DOD and NRO already have satellite networks in space, so it is evident that they use any extra means to expand their global reach. In his X on September 28, 2023, Mr. Musk stated that there is a clear dividend between the two business ventures: Starlink is a civilian network, not a combat participant, whereas Starshield will be owned by the US government and controlled by the DoD Space Force.

Referring to ‘Sources, ‘ Reuters reporters could have just mentioned that Brian Krassenstein, @krassenstein, announced the contract on September 28, 2023. There is no mystery about it. Therefore, the fact that the contract was awarded to Mr. Musk’s company does not constitute any secret.

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